I Tested Two Retro ConsolesOne Good, One Hot Garbage. For all of the hullabaloo its generated with its tiny consoles, Nintendo didnt invent retro gaming consoles. Not by a mile. When it released the NES Classic late last year, Nintendo wasnt creating a new field of consoles fueled by nostalgia and the fat wallets of aging Gen Xers. Rather, Nintendo was reinventing the retro console, which has long existed as a series of crummy knock offs sold behind the counter at drug stores and in the back of your local Bed Bath and Beyond. AT Games was one of the purveyors of those crummy consoleschurning out Sega Genesis and Atari 2. Prince Of Persia The Journey Begins Pc. Atari Flashback 8 Gold Sega Genesis Flashback. What Is It Atari and Sega emulators packaged to look like the original consoles. Like. The Atari 2. No Like. The Sega Genesis console is not great. So when Nintendo launched the NES Classic, what it was doing was giving those other retro console makers a kick in the pants, and showing companies like AT Games what the hell it should be doing with those giant libraries of thirty year old games it has at its disposal via licensing deals with Atari and Sega. Which is why AT Games is backjust a year after its last retro console launchto release the Sega Genesis Flash and Atari Flashback 8 Gold. While these systems might ape the designs of their predecessors and the ethos of Nintendo, theyre still, at their core, cheap emulators crammed in cheaper plastic. Thats totally fine when it comes to the 6. Cracked By Pc Retro' title='Cracked By Pc Retro' />Hey, why cant I vote on comments Cracked only offers comment voting to subscribing members. Subscribers also have access to loads of hidden content. Luke Plunkett. Luke Plunkett is a Contributing Editor based in Canberra, Australia. He has written a book on cosplay, designed a game about airplanes, and also runs. Behind the scenes of a oneofakind game for Xbox One and PC, coming out later this year. Cracked By Pc Retro' title='Cracked By Pc Retro' />Atari Flashback 8 Gold, but the 8. Earthquake Resistant Building Construction Seminar Pdf there. Sega Genesis Flashback has such a crucial flaw that you wont want to invite it into your living room. AT Games launched way back in 2. See, while Nintendo and Sony license and produce their own consoles internationally, Atari and Sega often licensed their consoles out to other companies. This became increasingly popular as demand for their systems waned in the US. The companies could make a quick buck selling Sega Genesis or Atari 2. Acquiring these licenses and producing super cheap consoles has been AT Games strategy since the beginning. Over the last 1. 6 years, AT Games has produced a LOT of inexpensive Sega consoles, and it hasnt just released the consoles itselfit produces consoles for other companies too. The most notable being the Brazilian Tec. The ProCarpenter Tape Measure is an incredibly innovative tape measure. We have developed this special tape with many innovative features Lever action belt clip. All Pc Games, All PC Game Review Scores, Latest Game Reviews, Indie Pc Game Review, Top 10 Pc Game of all time, Pc Game Listing, Pc Game Reviews from around the. Toy, which has been licensing the Sega lineup since the launch of the Sega Master back in 1. Unfortunately, Sega and Atari seem to have no quality control clause in these licenses they sell, and consequently, AT Games has a reputation for making some. So lets start with the Sega Genesis Flashback, as its really, really bad. It shouldnt be It plays 8. Cracked By Pc Retro' title='Cracked By Pc Retro' />Genesis and Master systems, including musts like Shining Force, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Mortal Kombat. It also has a slot to play actual Genesis and Master cartridges, should you have any on hand. There are even some major upgrades from previous iterations of AT Games Sega console. First is the HDMI port allowing for up to 7. While these arent really games that should be played in 7. Oh God I remember this being state of the art my roommate moaned as she spied Sonic spinning across the screen, theyre still crisp and attractive. Cf_auto%2Ch_630%2Cw_1200/v1452704600/ihajyz219hkgmjj1ustt.png' alt='Cracked By Pc Retro' title='Cracked By Pc Retro' />But the checker squared backdrop common to many Sonic the Hedgehog levels is nausea inducing. As if there was just a hint of lag somewhere, slowing things down. The bigger upgrade is that AT Games finally fixed an audio problem endemic to its Sega systems. Sega games are kind of notorious in emulation circles for getting their audio screwed up easily just watch the video to the left, and AT Games has struggled with the problem for nearly ten years. Between the fixed sound, the great looking replica chassis, and the systems introduction of a rewind ability and save states, the Sega Flashback could be a great and affordable competitor to the discontinued NES Classic or the upcoming SNES Classic. But theres a problem. See, AT Games elected to go with wireless controllers, while they handle well and have the more popular six button Genesis layout, theyve got some big problems that ruin the Flashback. Chemical%20Plant%20-%20Retro%20Sonic%208.jpg' alt='Cracked By Pc Retro' title='Cracked By Pc Retro' />First, the controllers require two AAA batteries to run and accessing the slot for the batteries requires a screwdriver. Second, and far worse, the controllers dont work consistently. In my testing, it was always a tossup whether pressing a button would actually result in a corresponding action on screen. The Start and the C button were both pretty trustworthy, but every other button required repeated key smashes or brief and excruciating pauses. In a video game, especially from the 1. A lot and lot of death. There are two ports if you happen to have original Genesis controllers on hand, but if you dont want to go trolling through e. Bay for those, youre stuck with the two 2. Dxwnd Ms Site here. GHz wireless controllers AT Games provides. AT Games also provides wireless controllers for the Atari Flashback 8 Gold. This system cant play old cartridges, but it can connect to a TV with an HDMI port churning out 7. As with the Genesis Flashback, the Atari system also has the cool ability to rewind and replay the last 6 seconds nothing like watching a brutal Pitfall death over and over again, and there are even ports if you have old Atari controllers, as well as a SD card slot in case you want to shove more Atari games on the console. As it already has 1. SD card slot. This thing has all the good games like Frogger, Pitfall, Missile Command, and Yars Revenge. Notably absent is Pac Man, presumably because Namco Bandai had no desire to license it for a 6. Atari Flashback 8 Gold. Of the two consoles the Atari Flashback 8 Gold feels much more worth its price tag. The wireless controllers work with aplomb and the joysticks handle even the most vicious jerking. The menu screen is also more visually appealing, with none of the discordant elements found in the Sega Genesis Flashback. Despite spending a better part of the 9. Sega Genesis it was the Atariwhich I only encountered on muggy summer nights at my cousins in the 8. I keep finding myself flipping on and playing. If theres a retro console war brewing then Nintendo might possibly have a contender with AT Games Atari Flashback 8 Gold. The minute you pick up the controller you seem to hear whiffs of Flock of Seagulls playing in the distance. When you pick up a controller for the Sega Genesis Flashback you just feel pity and confusion. Was the Sega always this bad or is it the controller Either way, I have no desire to drop 8. Particularly when its true competitor, the SNES Classic, is just around the corner. READMEThe 6. 0 Atari Flashback 8 Gold is pretty great The 8. Sega Genesis Flashback is not great. The controllers on the Sega Genesis Flashback dont work consistently. But it does fix the sound feature, and both include a rewind function for skipping back a few seconds. UPDATE An AT Games spokesperson tells Gizmodo, and other outlets, that the Sega Genesis units shipped to reviewers were faulty. Well update after weve had a chance to check out a new unit.